Saturday, March 16, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 157

Twelve games on a busy Saturday, beginning with...

The Detroit Red Wings hosting the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss and Jonathan Bernier play in goal. Detroit started in the first period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, via Danny DeKeyser. New York tied it on an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-sixth of the year, courtesy of Brock Nelson and Devon Toews. The Red Wings retook the lead in the second period on an Athanasiou goal, his second of the game and twenty-sixth of the campaign, assisted by DeKeyser and Tyler Bertuzzi. This stood as the eventual 2-1 final score, with the three stars being Athanasiou, Bernier (41 for 42 in saves), and DeKeyser.

Over in Pittsburgh, the Penguins welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jordan Binnington and Matt Murray are in the creases. St. Louis opened in the first period with an Oskar Sundqvist goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Jaden Schwartz and Colton Parayko. The Blues added on with a Vince Dunn goal, his tenth of the year, helped along by Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron. St. Louis extended the lead in the second period as Pat Maroon scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Robert Thomas and Tyler Bozak. The Blues padded the lead on a Jay Bouwmeester goal, his third of the year, passed from Maroon and Zach Sanford. Casey DeSmith replaced Murray in goal. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Dominik Simon goal, his eighth of the season, going in unassisted. St. Louis replied with a Dunn power play goal in the third period, his eleventh of the year, powered by Parayko and Thomas. The final held at 5-1, with the three stars going to Dunn, Binnington (40 for 41 in saves), and Maroon, while Thomas and Parayko get the honorable mentions.

The last of the three matinees is in Los Angeles, as the Kings bring in the Florida Panthers. Sam Montembeault and Jonathan Quick draw the starts in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his thirty-third of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Henrik Borgstrom. Los Angeles tied it on a Dustin Brown power play goal, his eighteenth of the year, with assists provided by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. The Panthers took the lead back in the second period with an Evgenii Dadonov goal, his twenty-third of the season, assisted by Aleksander Barkov and Mike Matheson. The Kings tied it again in the third period on a Brendan Leipsic goal, his seventh of the year, passed from Jeff Carter and Matt Roy. Los Angeles pulled ahead on a Kopitar goal, his twentieth of the season, via Brown and Alec Martinez. Florida tied it again with another Dadonov goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov. The Panthers pulled ahead with a Huberdeau goal, his twenty-third of the campaign, made possible by Barkov, who got a sock trick, and Dadonov. This stood for a 4-3 win, with the three stars awarded to Dadonov, Barkov, and Huberdeau, while Kopitar and Brown get the honorable mentions.

At the regular time, the Boston Bruins host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo and Jaroslav Halak are set to start in goal. Boston began in the first period with a Patrice Bergeron power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brad Marchand and David Krejci. Columbus tied it on a Matt Duchene goal, his thirtieth of the year, coming off of Markus Nutivaara and David Savard. The Bruins won 2-1 in overtime with a Marchand goal, his thirty-first of the campaign, with a lone assist by Bergeron. The three stars were Marchand, Bergeron, and Halak (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Raleigh, the Carolina Hurricanes welcome the Buffalo Sabres. Linus Ullmark and Curtis McElhinney are in the creases. Buffalo struck first in the first period with a Jeff Skinner goal, his thirty-seventh of the season, assisted by Matt Hunwick and Sam Reinhart. Carolina tied it on a Lucas Wallmark goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Jordan Martinook and Brett Pesce. The Hurricanes took the lead in the second period with an Andrei Svechnikov goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho. Carolina added on with a Justin Williams goal, his twenty-first of the year, fueled by Justin Faulk and Nino Niederreiter. The Hurricanes extended the lead as Jordan Staal scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Micheal Ferland and Dougie Hamilton. The Sabres got one back with a Zemgus Girgensons goal, his fourth of the year, coming off of Brandon Montour. This only made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars going to Williams, Staal, and McElhinney (35 for 37 in saves).

Back north, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Carey Price guard the cages. Chicago got going in the second period with a Connor Murphy goal, his fourth of the season, courtesy of Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Brendan Perlini goal, his thirteenth of the year, via DeBrincat and Slater Koekkoek in the third period. This stood for a 2-0 win, with the three stars belonging to Crawford (48 save shutout), DeBrincat, and Murphy.

Over in Ontario, provincial rivals clash as the Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Garret Sparks and Anders Nilsson receive the starting nods in goal. Ottawa kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Cody Ceci goal, his sixth of the season, passed from Christian Wolanin and Max Veronneau. The Senators added on with a Brian Gibbons goal, his fifth of the year, via Dylan DeMelo and Mikkel Boedker in the second period. Toronto got on the board with a Morgan Rielly goal, his twentieth of the season, assisted by John Tavares. Ottawa shot back with a Magnus Paajarvi goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Rudolfs Balcers and Chris Tierney. The Senators extended the lead as Paajarvi scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Zack Smith and Mark Borowiecki. The Maple Leafs got one back in the third period on a Tavares power play goal, his fortieth of the year, powered by Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Ottawa answered on an Anthony Duclair goal, his fourteenth of the season, made possible by Ben Harpur and Smith. The Senators padded the lead on an Oscar Lindberg goal, his eighth of the year, with helpers from Ceci and Smith, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars of the 6-2 game were Paajarvi, Smith, and Ceci, while Tavares gets an honorable mention.

Far to the south, the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Andrei Vasilevskiy tend the twines. Tampa Bay drew first blood in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, courtesy of Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with an Alex Killorn goal, his fourteenth of the year, going in unassisted. Washington got on the board with a John Carlson goal, his twelfth of the season, made possible by Evgeny Kuznetsov. Tampa Bay answered with Killorn's second of the game and fifteenth of the year, assisted by Anthony Cirelli and Mathieu Joseph. The Capitals pulled back in the second period with an Alex Ovechkin power play goal, his forty-seventh of the season, powered by T.J. Oshie and Carlson. The Lightning countered in the third period with an Erik Cernak goal, his fourth of the year, fueled by Ryan McDonagh and Ondrej Palat. Washington chipped back on Ovechkin's second of the game and forty-eighth of the season, with helpers from Dmitry Orlov and Brett Connolly. Tampa Bay replied on a Killorn empty net goal to complete his hat trick on his sixteenth of the year, set up by Kucherov. The Lightning capped it at 6-3 with an empty net goal by Yanni Gourde, his nineteenth of the campaign, with assists provided by Adam Erne and Victor Hedman. The three stars went to Killorn, Kucherov, and Ovechkin, while Carlson gets an honorable mention.

In Canada again, the Winnipeg Jets bring in the Calgary Flames. Mike Smith and Connor Hellebuyck are in the blue paint. Winnipeg led off in the first period with a Mark Scheifele goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, via Ben Chiarot and Blake Wheeler. Calgary tied it in the second period with a Mark Jankowski shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Elias Lindholm and Mark Giordano. The Jets regained the lead on a Mathieu Perreault power play goal, his fourteenth of the campaign, powered by Jack Roslovic and Tyler Myers. This made it 2-1, the eventual final, with the three stars given to Hellebuyck (27 for 28 in saves), Perreault, and Scheifele.

Along to Minnesota, where the Wild host the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Devan Dubnyk protect the nets. Minnesota began in the first period with a Ryan Donato goal, his ninth of the season, with a lone assist by Pontus Aberg. New York tied it on a Mika Zibanejad goal, his twenty-eighth of the year, via Kevin Shattenkirk. The Wild took the lead with a Donato goal, his second of the game and tenth of the season, assisted by Luke Kunin and Jason Zucker. Minnesota added on in the second period with an unassisted by Eric Staal goal, his twentieth of the year. The Wild extended the lead as Jared Spurgeon scored his thirteenth of the season on the power play, with the help of Kevin Fiala and Zach Parise. The Rangers got one back with a Pavel Buchnevich goal, his seventeenth of the year, guided in by Tony DeAngelo and Brady Skjei. Minnesota iced it at 5-2 with a J.T. Brown empty net goal, his third of the campaign, set up by Marcus Foligno and Eric Fehr. The three stars were Donato, Dubnyk (26 for 27 in saves), and Staal.

Far to the south, the Arizona Coyotes welcome the Edmonton Oilers. Mikko Koskinen and Darcy Kuemper are the goalies. Edmonton started in the first period with a shorthanded Connor McDavid goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, set up by Alex Chiasson and Kris Russell. Arizona tied it on an Alex Galchenyuk power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, powered by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jakob Chychrun. The Oilers retook the lead in the second period on a Matt Benning goal, his fifth of the season, fueled by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Coyotes tied it again on another Galchenyuk goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the year, passed from Nick Cousins and Conor Garland. Edmonton won in overtime with a McDavid goal, his second of the game and thirty-sixth of the campaign, made possible by Oscar Klefbom.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks bring in the Nashville Predators. Juuse Saros and Martin Jones occupy the blue paint. Nashville opened in the first period on a Colton Sissons goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Craig Smith and Calle Jarnkrok. San Jose tied it on a Timo Meier goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, courtesy of Joe Pavelski and Joakim Ryan. The Predators retook the lead with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his thirtieth of the season, made possible by Filip Forsberg. The Sharks tied it again on a Joe Thornton goal, his fifteenth of the year, coming off of Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Nashville pulled ahead again in the third period with a Forsberg goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, guided in by Matt Irwin and Ryan Johansen. The Predators iced it at 4-2 with an Arvidsson empty net goal, his second of the game and thirty-first of the year, set up by Nick Bonino. The three stars were Arvidsson, Forsberg, and Sissons.

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Friday, March 15, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 156

Six games on this Friday evening, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Brian Elliott and Frederik Andersen start in goal. Philadelphia opened in the first period with a Jakub Voracek goal, his nineteenth of the season, coming off of Nolan Patrick. Toronto tied it on a Patrick Marleau power play goal, his fifteenth of the year, powered by William Nylander and Jake Muzzin. The Flyers took the lead back in the second period on a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Radko Gudas and Patrick. Philadelphia added on with a van Riemsdyk goal, his second of the game and twenty-third of the year, passed from Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Zach Hyman goal, his seventeenth of the season, made possible by Mitchell Marner and Ron Hainsey. The Flyers replied with a Gudas goal, his third of the year, guided in by Robert Hagg and Couturier. Philadelphia extended the lead as Shayne Gostisbehere scored his seventh of the season, thanks to Giroux and Travis Konecny. Toronto pulled back on a Muzzin goal, his seventh of the year, fueled by Hainsey and Nazem Kadri. The Maple Leafs got closer with another Muzzin goal, his second of the game and eighth of the season, helped along by Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev. Toronto tied it in the third period with a Martin Marincin goal, with helpers from Kadri and Justin Holl. The Maple Leafs gained the lead on an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-third of the year, with a lone assist from Nylander. Toronto padded the lead as Matthews scored his second of the game and thirty-fourth of the season, with the help of Andreas Johnsson and Zaitsev. The Flyers chipped back on a van Riemsdyk goal, completing his hat trick with his twenty-fourth of the year, dished from Giroux and Gostisbehere. This only made it 7-6, the final, with the three stars given to Matthews, Muzzin, and van Riemsdyk, while Nylander, Kadri, Zaitsev, Hainsey, Gudas, Gostisbehere, Giroux, Patrick, and Couturier get honorable mentions.

Stateside, the Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Sergei Bobrovsky are the masked men. Columbus started in the first period with an Adam McQuaid goal, his third of the season, via Artemi Panarin and Cam Atkinson. The Blue Jackets added on with a David Savard goal, his fifth of the year, courtesy of Boone Jenner. Columbus iced it at 3-0 in the third period with a Josh Anderson shorthanded empty net goal, his twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Seth Jones. The three stars were Bobrovsky (46 save shutout), McQuaid, and Savard.

Down in Dallas, the Stars bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury and Anton Khudobin are in the creases. Vegas led off in the first period with a Max Pacioretty goal, his twenty-second of the season, via Paul Stastny and Mark Stone. Dallas tied it on an unassisted Roope Hintz goal, his ninth of the year. The Golden Knights retook the lead in the third period on a Ryan Reaves goal, his ninth of the campaign, passed from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Ryan Carpenter. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars going to Fleury (40 for 41 in saves), Reaves, and Khudobin (35 for 37 in saves).

Back in Canada, the Calgary Flames host the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and David Rittich are the inexperienced goalies. Calgary began in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, helped along by Matthew Tkachuk. New York tied it on a Neal Pionk goal, his sixth of the year, via Ryan Strome. The Flames retook the lead in the second period with a Tkachuk goal, his thirty-first of the season, coming off of Mark Giordano and Michael Frolik. Calgary added on with a Garnet Hathaway goal, his eighth of the year, passed from Tkachuk and Derek Ryan. The Flames extended the lead in the third period as Frolik scored his fourteenth of the season, thanks to Tkachuk, who earned a sock trick, and Noah Hanifin. Calgary padded the lead on a Tkachuk goal, his second of the game and thirty-second of the year, made possible by Mikael Backlund. This stood for a 5-1 win, with the three stars awarded to Tkachuk, Frolik, and Rittich (24 for 25 in saves).

Down in Colorado, the Avalanche welcome the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson and Semyon Varlamov are in the blue paint. Colorado struck first in the first period with a Nathan MacKinnon goal, his thirty-sixth of the season, coming off of J.T. Compher and Samuel Girard. The Avalanche added on with a Mikko Rantanen power play goal, his thirty-first of the year, powered by Tyson Barrie and MacKinnon. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Corey Perry goal, his fourth of the season, via Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique. The Ducks tied it with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his thirteenth of the year, assisted by Daniel Sprong and Fowler. Anaheim took the lead on a Sprong goal, his thirteenth of the season, passed from Jaycob Megna and Getzlaf. Colorado tied it in the third period with a Sven Andrighetto goal, his fifth of the year, guided in by Ian Cole and Tyson Jost. The Ducks retook the lead on a Perry power play goal, his fifth of the season, with assists provided by Nick Ritchie and Getzlaf. Anaheim iced it at 5-3 with a Hampus Lindholm goal, his sixth of the year, set up by Josh Manson. The three stars went to Perry, Getzlaf, and Sprong, while Fowler and MacKinnon get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Vancouver Canucks bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and Jacob Markstrom are between the pipes. Vancouver got going in the second period with an Elias Pettersson power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. The Canucks added on in the third period with a Tanner Pearson goal, his eleventh of the year, via Horvat. New Jersey got on the board with a Kevin Rooney goal, his sixth of the season, helped along by Connor Carrick and Kenny Agostino. The Devils tied it on a Stefan Noesen goal, his third of the year, passed from Eric Tangradi and Will Butcher. The tie lasted to a shootout, where Pettersson was overpowered by Drew Stafford and Damon Severson as the Devils won 3-2. The three stars were Pettersson, Horvat, and Noesen.

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Thursday, March 14, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 155

Ten games on this Thursday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Casey DeSmith and Carter Hutton play in goal. Pittsburgh got going in the second period with a Phil Kessel power play goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, powered by Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins added on with a Brian Dumoulin goal, his third of the year, courtesy of Evgeni Malkin and Teddy Blueger. Pittsburgh extended the lead as Patric Hornqvist scored his seventeenth of the season on the power play, thanks to Kessel and Crosby. The Penguins padded the lead in the third period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his eleventh of the year, going in unassisted. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-0 on a Guentzel power play goal, his thirty-sixth of the campaign, with assists provided by Zach Trotman and Bjugstad. The three stars were DeSmith (26 save shutout), Kessel, and Guentzel, while Bjugstad and Crosby get the honorable mentions.

Over in New York, the Islanders welcome the Montreal Canadiens. Carey Price and Thomas Greiss are the rhyming goalies. New York dented the scoreboard in the second period with an Adam Pelech goal, his fifth of the season, coming off of Anthony Beauvillier. Montreal tied it on a Jordie Benn goal, his fifth of the year, assisted by Paul Byron and Christian Folin. The Islanders retook the lead in the third period with an Anders Lee goal, his twenty-fifth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Mathew Barzal. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the three stars being Greiss (33 for 34 in saves), Lee, and Price (36 for 38 in saves).

Along to Philadelphia, where the Flyers bring in the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Carter Hart man the nets. Washington led off in the first period with a Brett Connolly goal, his eighteenth of the season, guided in by Michal Kempny and John Carlson. The Capitals added on with a Lars Eller goal, his eleventh of the year, via Connolly and Carl Hagelin. Philadelphia got on the board in the second period with a James van Riemsdyk goal, his twenty-first of the season, assisted by Shayne Gostisbehere. Washington answered on a Connolly goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, courtesy of Hagelin. The Capitals extended the lead as Tom Wilson scored his twentieth of the season, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. The Flyers got one back on a Scott Laughton goal, his twelfth of the year, passed from Ryan Hartman and Robert Hagg. Washington iced it at 5-2 in the third period with a Kuznetsov empty net goal, his eighteenth of the campaign, set up by Alex Ovechkin and Kempny. The three stars were Connolly, Kempny, and Hagelin, while Kuznetsov gets an honorable mention.

Next up, the Detroit Red Wings host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jimmy Howard protect the nets. Detroit began in the first period with a Madison Bowey goal, his second of the season, passed from Christoffer Ehn and Michael Rasmussen. The Red Wings added on with a shorthanded and unassisted Darren Helm goal, his seventh of the year. Detroit extended the lead in the second period as Justin Abdelkader scored his sixth of the season, with the help of Luke Glendening. Tampa Bay got on the board with a Steven Stamkos power play goal, his thirty-fifth of the year, powered by J.T. Miller and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning got closer with a Brayden Point goal in the third period, his thirty-eighth of the season, helped along by Stamkos and Kucherov. Tampa Bay tied it as Kucherov scored his thirty-fourth of the year on the power play, thanks to Victor Hedman and Point. The Lightning pulled ahead with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-fifth of the season, made possible by Erik Cernak and Ondrej Palat. Tampa Bay padded the lead with a Kucherov goal, his second of the game and thirty-fifth of the year, courtesy of Point. The Red Wings got one back with a Rasmussen goal, his eighth of the campaign, with helpers from Thomas Vanek and Filip Zadina. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars awarded to Kucherov, Point, and Stamkos, while Rasmussen gets an honorable mention.

In Canada, the Ottawa Senators welcome the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen and Anders Nilsson are in the creases. Ottawa cracked the scoresheet in the second period with a Christian Wolanin goal, his fourth of the season, via Mikkel Boedker and Anthony Duclair. The Senators added on with a Chris Tierney empty net goal in the third period, his ninth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars of the 2-0 game were Nilsson (35 save shutout), Wolanin, and Boedker.

Westward to Winnipeg, as the Jets bring in the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Connor Hellebuyck guard the cages. Winnipeg opened in the first period with a Blake Wheeler goal, his twentieth of the season, passed from Patrik Laine and Mark Scheifele. The Jets added on with a Scheifele power play goal, his thirty-third of the year, powered by Laine and Wheeler. Boston got on the board with a Charlie McAvoy goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by David Krejci. The Bruins tied it in the second period with a Joakim Nordstrom goal, his sixth of the year, via Noel Acciari and Sean Kuraly. Winnipeg retook the lead in the third period with a Jacob Trouba goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Scheifele. The Jets extended the lead as Nikolaj Ehlers scored an unassisted goal, his eighteenth of the year. Boston pulled back on a Charlie Coyle goal, his eleventh of the campaign, helped along by Krejci. This only made it 4-3, the final, with the three stars being Scheifele, Wheeler, and Laine, while Krejci gets an honorable mention.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Devan Dubnyk tend the twines. Dallas drew first blood in the second period with a Radek Faksa goal, his thirteenth of the season, courtesy of Blake Comeau and Roman Polak. The Stars added on with a Roope Hintz goal, his eighth of the year, assisted by Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. Dallas extended the lead as Joel L'Esperance scored, thanks to Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen. Bishop was forced to exit at this point, with Anton Khudobin relieving him. Minnesota got on the board with a Jason Zucker power play goal, his twenty-first of the season, powered by Pontus Aberg and Brad Hunt. The Stars iced it at 4-1 with an Alexander Radulov empty net goal, his twenty-second of the year, set up by Seguin. The three stars were Seguin, Hintz, and L'Esperance.

Southwest to Arizona, as the Coyotes welcome the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Miller and Darcy Kuemper patrol the creases. Arizona started in the first period with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson shorthanded goal, his eleventh of the season, set up by Brad Richardson and Michael Grabner. The Coyotes added on with a Jason Demers goal, his second of the year, assisted by Christian Dvorak and Clayton Keller. Anaheim got on the board in the second period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twenty-first of the season, passed from Devin Shore and Rickard Rakell. Arizona replied with a Vinnie Hinostroza power play goal, his thirteenth of the year, powered by Alex Goligoski and the goalie Kuemper. The Coyotes extended the lead as Hinostroza scored another power play goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the season, thanks to Demers and Goligoski. Arizona padded the lead in the third period with a Hinostroza goal, his fifteenth of the year to complete his hat trick, with a lone assist by Christian Fischer. The Coyotes capped it at 6-1 with a Mario Kempe goal, his fourth of the campaign, made possible by Fischer. The three stars were Hinostroza, Kuemper (37 for 38 in saves), and Demers, while Goligoski and Fischer get the honorable mentions.

Out in California, the Los Angeles Kings bring in the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick are the masked men. Nashville struck first in the first period with a Viktor Arvidsson goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, helped along by Ryan Johansen. Los Angeles tied it in the second period with an Austin Wagner goal, his tenth of the year, via Trevor Lewis and Matt Roy. The Predators retook the lead with a Craig Smith goal, his nineteenth of the season, passed from Colton Sissons and Calle Jarnkrok. Nashville added on with a Sissons goal, his twelfth of the year, going in unassisted. This stood for a 3-1 win, with the three stars given to Sissons, Rinne (25 for 26 in saves), and Smith.

Finally, the San Jose Sharks host the Florida Panthers. Sam Montembeault and Martin Jones are the goalies. San Jose kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Melker Karlsson goal, his twelfth of the season, assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tim Heed. Florida tied it on a Jamie McGinn goal, his fourth of the year, courtesy of Aaron Ekblad and Jayce Hawryluk. The Sharks retook the lead on a Kevin Labanc goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Justin Braun and Brenden Dillon. The Panthers tied it in the second period on a Dryden Hunt goal in the second period, his second of the year, via Troy Brouwer and Riley Sheahan. Florida pulled ahead with a Mike Hoffman power play goal, his thirty-second of the season, powered by Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov. The Panthers added on in the third period with a Frank Vatrano goal, his twenty-second of the year, coming off of Hoffman and Vincent Trocheck. This made it 4-2, the final, with the three stars given to Hoffman, Vatrano, and Montembeault (26 for 28 in saves).

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Wednesday, March 13, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 154

Only three games tonight, beginning with...

The Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Chicago Blackhawks. Corey Crawford and Frederik Andersen are in goal. Chicago led off in the first period with a Duncan Keith goal, his fifth of the season, assisted by Brandon Saad and Brendan Perlini. The Blackhawks added on with a Perlini goal, his twelfth of the year, via Dylan Strome and Erik Gustafsson. Chicago extended the lead as Dominik Kahun scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks chased Andersen with a Saad goal, his twenty-third of the year, with a lone assist by Dylan Sikura. Garret Sparks came on in relief. Chicago padded the lead in the second period on an Alex DeBrincat goal, his thirty-eighth of the season, thanks to Perlini and Strome. Toronto got on the board with an Andreas Johnsson goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Morgan Rielly and William Nylander. Crawford didn't play in the third period, replaced by Collin Delia in goal. The Maple Leafs got closer with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-second of the season, guided in by Johnsson and Nylander. Toronto pulled closer with a Rielly power play goal, his nineteenth of the year, powered by Matthews and Mitchell Marner. The Maple Leafs got within one on a John Tavares goal, his thirty-ninth of the campaign, with a lone helper by Marner. This only made it 5-4, the final, with the three stars being Perlini, Saad, and Strome, while Matthews, Marner, Johnsson, Rielly, and Nylander all get honorable mentions.

Westward to Edmonton, as the Oilers welcome the New Jersey Devils. Cory Schneider and Mikko Koskinen play in goal. New Jersey began in the first period with a Kenny Agostino goal, his fifth of the season, helped along by Andy Greene and Kevin Rooney. Edmonton tied it on a Sam Gagner goal, his fifth of the year, via Jujhar Khaira and Matt Benning. The Oilers took the lead with an Alex Chiasson power play goal, his twentieth of the season, powered by Connor McDavid and Oscar Klefbom. The Devils retied it on a Travis Zajac power play goal, his seventeenth of the year, with a lone assist by Damon Severson. New Jersey took the lead in the second period with a Severson power play goal, his eleventh of the season, with assists provided by Drew Stafford and Connor Carrick. The Devils added on with a John Quenneville goal, made possible by Kurtis Gabriel and Will Butcher. Anthony Stolarz replaced Koskinen in goal. New Jersey extended the lead as Rooney scored his fifth of the year, thanks to Agostino. Edmonton got one back with a Benning goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of McDavid and Andrej Sekera. The Devils answered in the third period with a Blake Coleman shorthanded goal, his twenty-first of the year, set up by Greene. This made it 6-3, the final, with the three stars going to Rooney, Severson, and Agostino, while Greene, Benning, and McDavid get the honorable mentions.

Finally, in Vancouver, the Canucks bring in the New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist and Jacob Markstrom are in the creases. Vancouver got going in the second period with a Brock Boeser power play goal, his twenty-third of the season, powered by Josh Leivo and Bo Horvat. The Canucks added on with a Tyler Motte goal, his eighth of the year, via Alexander Edler and the goalie Markstrom. Vancouver extended the lead as Motte scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, thanks to Antoine Roussel. New York got on the board in the third period with a Pavel Buchnevich power play goal, his sixteenth of the year, with assists provided by Mika Zibanejad and Tony DeAngelo. The Canucks iced it at 4-1 with a Jake Virtanen empty net goal, his thirteenth of the campaign, set up by Tanner Pearson and Troy Stecher. The three stars were Motte, Markstrom (21 for 22 in saves), and Boeser.

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Tuesday, March 12, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 153

Eight games on this Tuesday, beginning with...

The Buffalo Sabres hosting the Dallas Stars. Ben Bishop and Linus Ullmark are in goal. Dallas got going in the second period with a Roope Hintz goal, his sixth of the season, coming off of Jason Dickinson and Blake Comeau. The Stars added on with a Hintz power play goal, his second of the game and seventh of the year, powered by John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin. This stood for the eventual 2-0 win, with the three stars given to Hintz, Bishop (35 save shutout), and Ullmark (25 for 27 in saves).

Along to Pittsburgh, as the Penguins welcome the Washington Capitals. Braden Holtby and Matt Murray are in the creases. Washington started in the first period with a Jakub Vrana goal, his twentieth of the season, via Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. The Capitals added on with another Vrana goal in the second period, his second of the game and twenty-first of the year, assisted by Dmitry Orlov and Oshie. Pittsburgh got on the board with a Jake Guentzel goal, his thirty-fifth of the season, with a lone helper from Jared McCann. The Penguins tied it on a Sidney Crosby goal, his thirty-second of the year, passed from Justin Schultz. Pittsburgh took the lead with a Crosby power play goal, his second of the game and thirty-third of the season, powered by Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins extended the lead as Kessel scored his twenty-third of the year on the power play in the third period, thanks to Schultz and Malkin. Washington got one back with a John Carlson goal, his eleventh of the season, made possible by Alex Ovechkin and Backstrom. Pittsburgh iced it at 5-3 with a McCann empty net goal, his seventeenth of the year, going in unassisted. The three stars were awarded to Crosby, Vrana, and Kessel, while McCann, Malkin, Schultz, Backstrom, and Oshie draw the honorable mentions.

Next up, the Columbus Blue Jackets host the Boston Bruins. Tuukka Rask and Sergei Bobrovsky guard the cages. Boston opened in the first period with a shorthanded Patrice Bergeron goal, his twenty-sixth of the season, set up by Brad Marchand. Columbus tied it on a Josh Anderson goal, his twenty-third of the year, assisted by Zach Werenski and Ryan Dzingel. The Blue Jackets took the lead with a Dzingel goal, his twenty-third of the season, guided in by Werenski and Seth Jones. Columbus added on with a shorthanded Boone Jenner goal, his thirteenth of the year, with a lone helper from Anderson. The Blue Jackets extended the lead in the second period as Matt Duchene scored his twenty-ninth of the season, thanks to Dzingel and Anderson. Columbus padded the lead on a Jenner goal, his second of the game and fourteenth of the year, passed from Riley Nash and Nick Foligno. Jaroslav Halak replaced Rask in goal. The Bruins pulled back on a Marchand goal, his twenty-ninth of the season, fueled by Charlie McAvoy and David Backes. Boston got closer with a Chris Wagner goal, his twelfth of the year, helped along by Danton Heinen. The Bruins chipped closer with a Marchand goal, his second of the game and thirtieth of the season, coming off of Bergeron. The Blue Jackets fired back on a Werenski power play goal in the third period, his tenth of the year, powered by Artemi Panarin and Anderson, the latter earning a sock trick. Columbus capped it at 7-4 with a Jenner empty net goal, completing his hat trick on his fifteenth of the campaign, courtesy of Nash and Werenski, the latter earning a sock trick. The three stars were Jenner, Werenski, and Anderson, while Dzingel, Marchand, Bergeron, and Nash get the honorable mentions.

In Canada, the Montreal Canadiens bring in the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Bernier and Carey Price man the nets. Montreal dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Max Domi goal, his twenty-third of the season, coming off of Andrew Shaw and Tomas Tatar. The Canadiens added on with a Brett Kulak goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. Detroit got on the board in the third period with an Andreas Athanasiou goal, his twenty-fourth of the season, helped along by Niklas Kronwall and Trevor Daley. Montreal iced it at 3-1 with a Domi empty net goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Jordan Weal and Shea Weber.

Back stateside, the St. Louis Blues host the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Jordan Binnington are the career backups in goal. Arizona drew first blood in the second period with an unassisted Richard Panik goal, his thirteenth of the season. The Coyotes added on in the third period with a Vinnie Hinostroza goal, his twelfth of the year, coming off of Brad Richardson. St. Louis got on the board with a Jaden Schwartz power play goal, his seventh of the season, powered by Ryan O'Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo. Arizona iced it at 3-1 with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by the goalie Kuemper. The three stars went to Kuemper (39 for 40 in saves), Hinostroza, and Panik.

North again to Wininpeg, where the Jets welcome the San Jose Sharks. Aaron Dell is mismatched with Connor Hellebuyck in goal. San Jose led off in the first period with a Marc-Edouard Vlasic goal, his second of the season, made possible by Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen. Winnipeg tied it on an Andrew Copp goal, his tenth of the year, via Ben Chiarot and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets took the lead with an unassisted Bryan Little goal, his fifteenth of the season. The Sharks tied it again on a Gustav Nyquist goal, his eighteenth of the year, assisted by Tomas Hertl and Joonas Donskoi. Winnipeg reclaimed the lead in the second period with a Kyle Connor power play goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, powered by Patrik Laine and Blake Wheeler. San Jose retied it on a Nyquist goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the year, guided in by Vlasic. The Sharks edged ahead in the third period with a Sorensen goal, his sixteenth of the season, fueled by Thornton and Kevin Labanc. The Jets tied it again as Perreault scored his thirteenth of the year, thanks to Tyler Myers and Brandon Tanev. San Jose won 5-4 with five seconds left on a Joe Pavelski goal, his thirty-seventh of the campaign, dished from Timo Meier and Vlasic. The three stars belonged to Vlasic, Nyquist, and Sorensen, while Thornton and Perreault get the honorable mentions.

Westward to Calgary, where the Flames bring in the New Jersey Devils. MacKenzie Blackwood and David Rittich draw the starts in goal. Calgary began in the first period with a Johnny Gaudreau goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. New Jersey tied it on a Blake Coleman goal, his twentieth of the year, going in unassisted. The Devils took the lead with a Kyle Palmieri goal, his twenty-seventh of the season, passed from Damon Severson. New Jersey added on in the second period with a Kenny Agostino goal, his fourth of the year, guided in by Will Butcher and Connor Carrick. The Flames pulled back on a Sam Bennett goal, his twelfth of the season, fueled by Mark Giordano and Derek Ryan. Calgary tied it on a Lindholm goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, via Monahan and Gaudreau. The Devils regained the lead on a shorthanded Travis Zajac goal, his sixteenth of the season, set up by Coleman and Andy Greene. The Flames replied with a Ryan goal, his eighth of the year, helped along by Bennett and Giordano. Calgary surged ahead on a Gaudreau penalty shot goal, drawn against Damon Severson for his second goal of the game and thirty-second of the season. The Flames extended the lead as Ryan scored his second of the game and ninth of the year, with helpers from Gaudreau and Lindholm. Calgary padded the lead with Gaudreau's hat trick goal, his thirty-third of the season, made possible by Monahan and Rasmus Andersson. The Flames continued with a Monahan goal, his thirty-first of the year, dished from Gaudreau and Lindholm, both of whom earned sock tricks. Calgary struck again with a Matthew Tkachuk goal, his thirtieth of the campaign, with assists from Oscar Fantenberg and Mikael Backlund. This made it 9-4, the final, with the three stars awarded to Gaudreau, Lindholm, and Monahan, while Ryan, Bennett, Giordano, and Coleman get the honorable mentions.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Nashville Predators. Pekka Rinne and John Gibson tend the twines. Anaheim kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Ryan Getzlaf goal, his twelfth of the season, via Josh Manson. The Ducks added on with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his twentieth of the year, courtesy of Rickard Rakell and Jacob Larsson. Anaheim extended the lead in the second period as Daniel Sprong scored his twelfth of the season, thanks to Corey Perry and Hampus Lindholm. Nashville got on the board in the third period with a Filip Forsberg power play goal, his twenty-third of the year, powered by Mikael Granlund and Roman Josi. The Predators got closer with another Forsberg power play goal, his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the campaign, set up by Ryan Johansen and Granlund. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars being Sprong, Forsberg, and Granlund.

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Monday, March 11, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 152

Seven games on an unusually busy Monday, beginning with...

The New York Islanders hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sergei Bobrovsky and Thomas Greiss are in the creases. New York led off in the first period with a Ryan Pulock goal, his eighth of the season, via Cal Clutterbuck and Adam Pelech. The Islanders added on with an Anders Lee empty net goal in the third period, his twenty-fourth of the year, set up by Valtteri Filppula. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Greiss (31 save shutout), Pulock, and Bobrovsky (18 for 19 in saves).

West to Philadelphia, as the Flyers welcome the Ottawa Senators. Craig Anderson and Brian Elliott are the experienced goalies. Ottawa began in the first period with a Chris Tierney goal, his eighth of the season, passed from Ben Harpur and Rudolfs Balcers. Philadelphia tied it in the second period on an Oskar Lindblom goal, his thirteenth of the year, guided in by Sean Couturier and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers took the lead with a Michael Raffl goal, his sixth of the season, with a lone assist by Nolan Patrick. Philadelphia added on with a Scott Laughton goal, his eleventh of the year, fueled by Travis Konecny and Raffl. The Senators got one back in the third period with a Filip Chlapik goal, assisted by Zack Smith and Thomas Chabot. This only made it 3-2, the final, with the three stars given to Raffl, Chlapik, and Laughton.

Up in Toronto, the Maple Leafs bring in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Frederik Andersen tend the twines. Tampa Bay started in the first period with a Tyler Johnson goal, his twenty-third of the season, courtesy of Ryan McDonagh and Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning added on with an Anthony Cirelli goal, his fourteenth of the year, via Mikhail Sergachev and Alex Killorn. Tampa Bay extended the lead in the second period as Johnson scored his second of the game and twenty-fourth of the season, thanks to Brayden Point and McDonagh. The Lightning padded the lead on an Ondrej Palat goal, his eighth of the year, coming off of Braydon Coburn and Jan Rutta. Garret Sparks came on in relief of Andersen. Toronto got on the board with an Auston Matthews goal, his thirty-first of the season, assisted by Andreas Johnsson and Nikita Zaitsev. Tampa Bay responded with a shorthanded Cedric Paquette goal, his eleventh of the year, set up by Victor Hedman and Yanni Gourde. The Lightning continued in the third period with another Paquette goal, his second of the game and twelfth of the season, helped along by Gourde and Rutta. The Maple Leafs got one back with a Connor Brown goal, his sixth of the year, passed from Patrick Marleau and Nazem Kadri. This made it a 6-2 final score, with the three stars awarded to Johnson, Paquette, and McDonagh, while Rutta and Gourde get the honorable mentions.

Back stateside, the Minnesota Wild host the San Jose Sharks. Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk guard the cages. San Jose got going in the first period with a Barclay Goodrow goal, his sixth of the season, made possible by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tim Heed. The Sharks added on in the third period with a Tomas Hertl goal, his thirty-first of the year, assisted by Timo Meier and Gustav Nyquist. San Jose extended the lead as Logan Couture converted a penalty shot for his twenty-fourth goal of the season. This stood for a 3-0 win, with the three stars handed to Jones (24 save shutout), Goodrow, and Hertl.

Down in Chicago, the Blackhawks welcome the Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper and Corey Crawford are between the pipes. Arizona opened in the first period with a Richard Panik goal, his twelfth of the season, via Christian Dvorak. Chicago tied it on a Brendan Perlini goal, his ninth of the year, passed from Brent Seabrook and Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks added on with a Brandon Saad goal, his twenty-second of the season, assisted by Jonathan Toews and Erik Gustafsson. Chicago extended the lead in the second period as Perlini scored his second of the game and tenth of the year, with the help of Dylan Strome and Dominik Kahun. The Blackhawks chased Kuemper with a Chris Kunitz goal, his third of the season, coming off of David Kampf and Marcus Kruger. Calvin Pickard came on in relief. Chicago padded the lead on a Patrick Kane goal, his forty-first of the year, guided in by Artem Anisimov and Kahun. The Blackhawks struck again with a Toews penalty shot goal, his thirtieth of the season. Chicago iced it at 7-1 with a Perlini goal in the third period, completing his hat trick on his eleventh of the year, with helpers from DeBrincat and Connor Murphy. The three stars were Perlini, Toews, and Kahun, while DeBrincat gets an honorable mentions.

Back in Canada, the Edmonton Oilers bring in the New York Rangers. Alexandar Georgiev and Mikko Koskinen are the lesser-known goalies. Edmonton struck first in the first period with a Connor McDavid power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the season, powered by Alex Chiasson and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers added on with a Matt Benning goal, his third of the year, via Draisaitl and Zack Kassian. New York got on the board in the second period with a Brendan Lemieux goal, his eleventh of the season, assisted by Kevin Shattenkirk. The Rangers tied it in the third period with a Brett Howden goal, his fifth of the year, coming off of Lemieux. Edmonton won 3-2 in overtime with a Draisaitl goal, his forty-second of the campaign, helped along by McDavid and Darnell Nurse. The three stars went to Draisaitl, McDavid, and Lemieux.

Finally, the Colorado Avalanche host the Carolina Hurricanes. Petr Mrazek and Philipp Grubauer draw the starts in goal. Carolina dented the scoreboard in the second period with a Dougie Hamilton goal, his thirteenth of the season, made possible by Justin Williams and Andrei Svechnikov. The Hurricanes added on with a Svechnikov goal, his sixteenth of the year, courtesy of Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Faulk. Carolina iced it at 3-0 with a Svechnikov empty net goal, his second of the game and seventeenth of the campaign, set up by Teravainen and Brett Pesce. The three stars were Svechnikov, Mrazek (38 save shutout), and Teravainen.

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Sunday, March 10, 2019

NHL 2018/19 - Day 151

Five games on this Sunday, beginning with...

The Florida Panthers hosting the Detroit Red Wings. Jimmy Howard faces a lesser foe in Sam Montembeault in goal. Florida led off in the first period with a Josh Brown goal, coming off of Troy Brouwer and Mark Pysyk. The Panthers added on with a Jamie McGinn power play goal, his third of the season, powered by Aaron Ekblad and Henrik Borgstrom. Florida extended the lead in the second period as Frank Vatrano scored his twenty-first of the year, thanks to Ekblad and Mike Hoffman. Detroit got on the board with a Thomas Vanek power play goal, his fourteenth of the season, with a lone helper by Frans Nielsen. The Panthers replied with a Jonathan Huberdeau power play goal in the third period, his twenty-second of the year, with assists provided by Evgenii Dadonov and Aleksander Barkov. Florida padded the lead with a Dryden Hunt goal, made possible by Riley Sheahan and MacKenzie Weegar. The Panthers continued on a Barkov goal, his thirtieth of the season, helped along by Huberdeau and Weegar. This made it 6-1, the final, with the three stars given to Barkov, Huberdeau, and Weegar, while Ekblad gets an honorable mention.

Up in DC, the Washington Capitals welcome the Winnipeg Jets. Connor Hellebuyck and Pheonix Copley man the creases. Washington began in the first period with a Nicklas Backstrom goal, his eighteenth of the season, assisted by John Carlson and Michal Kempny. Winnipeg tied it on a Mathieu Perreault goal, his twelfth of the year, via Jack Roslovic and Andrew Copp. The Capitals retook the lead in the second period on a Carl Hagelin goal, his fourth of the season, coming off of Nic Dowd. Washington iced it at 3-1 in the third period with a Lars Eller empty net goal, his tenth of the year, set up by Tom Wilson and Dmitry Orlov. The three stars went to Copley (33 for 34 in saves), Hagelin, and Backstrom.

Along to Pittsburgh, where the Penguins host the Boston Bruins. Jaroslav Halak and Matt Murray protect the nets. Pittsburgh started in the first period with a Nick Bjugstad goal, his tenth of the season, via Patric Hornqvist and Dominik Simon. The Penguins added on with a Jared McCann shorthanded goal, his fifteenth of the year, set up by Teddy Blueger. Boston got on the board with a David Krejci power play goal in the second period, his nineteenth of the season, powered by Danton Heinen and Brad Marchand. Pittsburgh shot back with a Jake Guentzel power play goal, his thirty-fourth of the year, with assists provided by Sidney Crosby and Marcus Pettersson. The Bruins got one back in the third period with a John Moore goal, his fourth of the season, passed from Charlie Coyle and Heinen. The Penguins iced it at 4-2 with a McCann empty net goal, his second of the game and sixteenth of the year, assisted by Guentzel. The three stars belonged to McCann, Guentzel, and Heinen.

Out west, the Calgary Flames bring in the Vegas Golden Knights. Malcolm Subban and David Rittich are the backups in goal. Calgary opened in the first period with an Andrew Mangiapane goal, his fourth of the season, fueled by Garnet Hathaway and Travis Hamonic. The Flames added on with a Mikael Backlund goal, his eighteenth of the year, guided in by Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk. Vegas got on the board with a Brandon Pirri goal, his eleventh of the season, via Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin. Calgary replied with a Tkachuk goal, his twenty-seventh of the year, helped along by Frolik and Mark Giordano. The Golden Knights answered in the second period on a Reilly Smith goal, his fourteenth of the season, assisted by William Karlsson and Shea Theodore. Vegas tied it on a Mark Stone goal, his thirtieth of the year, passed from Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty. The Flames regained the lead with a Backlund power play goal, his second of the game and nineteenth of the season, powered by Rasmus Andersson and Austin Czarnik. Calgary extended the lead in the third period as Tkachuk scored his second of the game and twenty-eighth of the year, with the help of Backlund and Frolik, the latter earning a sock trick. The Flames iced it at 6-3 with a Tkachuk empty net goal to complete his hat trick, his twenty-ninth of the campaign set up by Frolik. The three stars were awarded to Tkachuk, Backlund, and Frolik.

Finally, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings. Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller are the American goalies. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the first period with a Dustin Brown goal, his seventeenth of the season, helped along by Derek Forbort and Drew Doughty. Anaheim tied it on a Daniel Sprong goal, his eleventh of the year, via Ryan Getzlaf. The Kings retook the lead with a Kyle Clifford goal, his eighth of the season, guided in by Trevor Lewis and Paul LaDue. Los Angeles added on with a Carl Grundstrom goal, his second of the year, fueled by Adrian Kempe and Tyler Toffoli. The Ducks pulled one back in the third period with a Jakob Silfverberg goal, his nineteenth of the campaign, going in unassisted. They failed to tie it, losing 3-2, with the three stars given to Grundstrom, Clifford, and Brown.

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MLS 2019 - Week 2

Eleven games this week as more teams play in home openers. The first seven are on Saturday, beginning with...

The Chicago Fire hosting Orlando City SC. David Ousted and Brian Rowe man the nets. Orlando City's Kyle Smith took a yellow card for a 34th minute foul. Chicago saw a yellow card in the 45th minute for a foul by Djordje Mihailovic. The Lions got going in the 47th minute with a Dom Dwyer goal, set up by Nani. The Fire went down to ten men in the 64th minute when Jorge Corrales took a straight red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Chicago's Bastian Schweinsteiger received a yellow card for a 90th minute foul. The Fire tied it in second half stoppage time with a C.J. Sapong goal, coming off of Przemyslaw Frankowski. This made it a 1-1 draw, with the man of the match being Sapong.

Over in New England, the Revolution welcome the Columbus Crew SC. Zack Steffen and Brad Knighton are the keepers. Columbus led off in the 26th minute with a Gyasi Zardes goal, set up by Pedro Santos. Wilfried Zahibo of New England took a yellow card for a 35th minute foul. In the 36th minute, the Crew's Wil Trapp had a yellow card for his foul. Columbus' Santos received a yellow card for a 77th minute foul. Brandon Bye of the Revolution had a yellow card for his 86th minute foul. The Crew iced it deep in stoppage time with another Zardes goal, assisted by Hector Jimenez and the keeper Steffen. The final held at 2-0, with Zardes' brace making him the man of the match.

Down in Texas, FC Dallas brings in the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Bingham and Jesse Gonzalez draw the starts in goal. Rolf Feltscher of Los Angeles took a yellow card for a 21st minute foul. Sebastian Lletget of the Galaxy had a yellow card for his 35th minute foul. Dallas dented the scoreboard in the 53rd minute with a Reto Ziegler penalty kick goal. The Toros added on in the 61st minute with a Bryan Acosta goal, set up by Paxton Pomykal. Los Angeles saw yellow cards for fouls by Daniel Steres in the 71st minute and Diego Polenta in the 75th minute. Michael Barrios of Dallas received a yellow card for his 80th minute foul. Jonathan dos Santos of the Galaxy took a yellow card for a foul in second half stoppage time. Dallas won 2-0, with the man of the match being Acosta.

Staying in the state, the Houston Dynamo host the Montreal Impact. Evan Bush and Joe Willis protect the nets. Montreal began in the 34th minute with a Saphir Taider goal, via Micheal Azira. Houston tied it on a Memo Rodriguez goal in the 36th minute, assisted in by Tomas Martinez. Boniek Garcia of the Dynamo took a yellow card for a foul in the 74th minute. In the 77th minute, Bacary Sagna of the Impact and Houston's Romell Quioto each received a yellow card. The Dynamo pulled ahead on a Mauro Manotas goal in the 86th minute, set up by Quioto. Montreal's Victor Cabrera took a yellow card for his 88th minute foul. The final remained at 2-1, with Manotas' winner making him man of the match.

Northwest to Utah, as Real Salt Lake welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Maxime Crepeau and Nick Rimando are in the six-yard boxes. Vancouver's Yordy Reyna earned a yellow card for a 17th minute foul. Salt Lake opened in the 21st minute with an Albert Rusnak penalty kick goal. Real's Everton Luiz took a yellow card for his 41st minute foul. The goal held up in a 1-0 final, with Rimando's five-save clean sheet making him the man of the match.

Out in California, the San Jose Earthquakes bring in Minnesota United FC. Vito Mannone and Daniel Vega are between the sticks. San Jose's Magnus Eriksson took a yellow card for a foul in the 3rd minute. Minnesota cracked the scoresheet in the 49th minute with a Darwin Quintero penalty kick goal. The Loons added on in the 52nd minute with a Miguel Ibarra goal, via Quintero. Anibal Godoy of the Earthquakes took a yellow card for his 61st minute foul. Rasmus Schuller of Minnesota received a yellow card for his foul in the 65th minute. The Loons extended the lead as San Jose's Harold Cummings committed an own goal in the 75th minute. The final remained at 3-0, with Quintero named man of the match for his goal and assist.

Saturday ends in Seattle, as the Sounders FC host the Colorado Rapids. Tim Howard and Stefan Frei tend the nets. Seattle led off in the 5th minute with a Kelvin Leerdam goal. The Sounders added on in the 8th minute with a Raul Ruidiaz goal. Keegan Rosenberry of Colorado took a yellow card for persistent infringement in the 17th minute. Seattle's Gustav Svensson received a yellow card for a 25th minute foul. The Rapids saw a yellow card for persistent infringement by Benny Feilhaber in the 33rd minute. The Sounders racked up four yellow cards in the second half, for fouls by Jordan Morris in the 52nd minute and Cristian Roldan in the 59th minute, as well as time wasting by Leerdam in the 65th minute and Nicolas Lodeiro in stoppage time. The final remained 2-0, with the man of the match being Ruidiaz.

On Sunday, New York City FC hosts DC United. Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson are the gloved men. New York City's Maxime Chanot took a yellow card for a 27th minute foul. DC saw yellow cards for Leonardo Jara in the 57th minute and Joseph Mora in the 73rd minute, both for fouls. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, with Hamid's six-save clean sheet on the road making him the man of the match.

Westward to Kansas City, where Sporting welcomes the Philadelphia Union. Andre Blake and Tim Melia patrol the penalty areas. Kansas City struck first in the 11th minute with an Ilie Sanchez penalty kick goal. Sporting's Graham Zusi took a yellow card for a 22nd minute foul. In the 31st minute, Marco Fabian of Philadelphia picked up a yellow card for his foul. Gianluca Busio of Kansas City received a yellow card in the 37th minute. The Union went down to ten men in the 60th minute when Fabian received a straight red card for a serious foul. Sporting added on in the 80th minute when Jack Elliott of Philadelphia committed an own goal. The game ended 2-0, with Melia named man of the match for a four-save clean sheet.

Southeast to Georgia, as Atlanta United FC brings in FC Cincinnati. Spencer Richey and Brad Guzan are set to start in goal. Atlanta was first to score in the 5th minute with a Josef Martinez goal, set up by Julian Gressel. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez of the Five Stripes took a yellow card for an 11th minute foul. Cincinnati tied it in the 86th minute with a Roland Lamah goal, via Kenny Saief. This made it 1-1, the final, with Lamah named man of the match for the equalizer.

Finally, Los Angeles FC hosts the Portland Timbers. Jeff Attinella and Tyler Miller are the goalies. Los Angeles kicked off the scoring in the 14th minute with a Mark-Anthony Kaye goal, via Carlos Vela. Eduard Atuesta of the Black and Gold took a yellow card for a 17th minute foul. Portland tied it in the 29th minute on a Jeremy Ebobisse goal, set up by Diego Valeri. In the 35th minute, Diego Chara of the Timbers received a yellow card for a foul. Latif Blessing of Los Angeles picked up a yellow card for his 37th minute foul. The Black and Gold retook the lead on a Christian Ramirez goal in the 45th minute, assisted by Jordan Harvey and Vela. Portland's Zarek Valentin had a yellow card for a 47th minute foul. Los Angeles added on in the 65th minute with an Adama Diomande goal, coming off of Vela and Blessing. The Black and Gold extended the lead as Vela scored in the 68th minute, with the help of Diomande. The Timbers went down to ten men in the 72nd minute when Chara took a second yellow card for his foul. The final remained at 4-1, with Vela's masterclass performance making him man of the match.

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